Gambler's Folly (Bookstrand Publishing Romance) by Mellie E. Miller

happy.”
    “You spoke to Damiano?” she asked, surprised.
    “Of course. I am here to make sure you have protection, and I have failed. He had to know.”
    “But who would do such a thing?”
    “Signora, can you tell me who brought up your meal?” he asked.
    “Well, let me think,” she said, trying to remember what he had looked like. “I didn’t get a real good look at him, but I don’t remember seeing him before. Of course, I don’t know everyone who works here, and I didn’t pay much attention.”
    “If you saw him again, would you know him?”
    “Maybe, Marco. I don’t know. He was here for only a minute or two. I just signed the ticket and gave it back to him.”
    “Was he wearing gloves?” Marco demanded.
    “Well, no, of course not. Why would he wear gloves?”
    Marco was on his communicator before she finished. After a short conversation in rapid Italian, he asked her, “When did you order your meal?”
    “It must have been around 1130h. After Damiano left, I took a bath, and then I ordered lunch. He left around 1030h and I spent quite a while in the bath. I was upset. So, by the time I ordered lunch, it must have been around then. Maybe a little earlier, but not much.”
    He passed this information on to whomever was on the other end of the conversation. “The kitchen has no record of your order, Signora, or any order from 1000h to 1300h. It isn’t in the computer, and there is no ticket, signed or otherwise.”
    “Well, I know I ordered it.”
    “Yes, and we know you ate it. But where did it come from, Signora, if not the kitchen?”
    After another quick exchange with the kitchen, Marco looked at the tray which had just been sent up.
    “What’s wrong?” she asked.
    “There is also no record of this order, though it came from the kitchen. I saw it put on the tray, saw the waiter pick it up, and it came with him from the kitchen to the suite. And yet the kitchen has no record of the order.”
    “Marco, what’s going on?”
    “I don’t know, but you’re not eating this,” he told her. “It’s going to the lab.”
    “But I’m hungry!” she complained.
    “Better hungry than sick or dead, Signora. I’ll bring something up as soon as I can,” he said. “ Scusi , Signora. I must make some arrangements. Open the door to no one. I have a pass key.” He left quickly and she checked the door before sitting down to think about what was happening.
    Before too long, Marco was back with some more soup and some fresh bread. Carrying the tray was a young man she’d never seen before, but who looked more confident than a waiter should. Tall, dark, and slim, he could have been Damiano’s baby brother.
    “Signora, this is Dante. He will bring everything you need from the kitchen,” Marco told her. “He will take your orders, watch them prepared and bring them up to you.”
    “Have you found out what has been happening with my food?” she asked.
    “Don’t worry, Signora. It will not happen again,” he assured her. “It is fixed.”
    Karianna thought it best not to know how it had been fixed. She locked the door behind Marco and Dante, and was finally able to have her soup. She was famished and was glad that Dante had brought the bread with it. Even though it wasn’t strictly doctor’s orders, it tasted marvelous.
    When Damiano called, she could see the worry on his face as he asked how she was. “I’m alright now, Dam. I don’t know what happened, and Marco just said they had it figured out.”
    “Don’t worry, cara. Have you been able to eat?” he asked.
    “I just finished some bread and soup a little while ago. My stomach feels fine, except I’m still a little hungry.”
    “Why don’t you ask for some fruit or maybe a different soup with some vegetables in it?”
    “I don’t want to be a bother. I know Dante will take care of everything for me, but I’m sure he has other things to do.” She sighed, and then smiled at Damiano.
    “No, he has nothing else to do,”